


Prince and Beggar

by midi_chi



Category: Original Work
Genre: Drabble, Dragons, Drama, Fairy Tale Elements, Fantasy, Gen, Phoenixes, Poetry, Prose Poem
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-16
Updated: 2020-12-16
Packaged: 2021-03-10 18:49:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 689
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28111941
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/midi_chi/pseuds/midi_chi
Summary: they are so similar but yet so differentinspired by “Litany in Which Certain Things Are Crossed Out” by Richard Siken





	1. the Prince

**Dear Prince** ,

they hate you. Now, at this moment, but they exclude “then” for some reason; actually, thinking of it, they suddenly decide that, yeah, you were not worthy of their love even “then”.

Tis you, who fought for their lives, tis you, who lost your head for their sake, tis you, who fell in love with their Hope – what have you done?

You just turned into a dragon.

So what? You are a dragon, big deal. You’re huge, and shiny, and your heart – the one Hope used to steal for her peculiar fun – your heart is now hidden under the rough skin, and no one can reach it.

Not even you.

**Dear Prince** ,

or should I say “Dragon”? I do not know; I’ll wait till you steal a princess or get yourself a pile of gold – until then, you’re my Prince.

But you’d disagree, won’t you?

They’ve convinced both you and themselves that everything has changed: “He wants no more of our Hope? What a lunatic! He can’t just refuse her!”

You nod: “Can not”, but there's more that you want.

You want to stab her chest with the sharpest shard of your heart – the one you gave away a long time ago – but you simply say: “You won’t do it again”, and walk out, with your cape made out of northern wind.

While leaving, the memories passed you.

One of how weirdly your heart began to beat, greenish and even like it was real, when you first saw her. Another – of how it disappeared from your chest and stayed in the Hope’s patch pocket. How it cracked with a light touch of her glassy lips, how it was pierced thousands of times, how it was shattered and glued back together again and again and again.

Still, you were their Prince, and no one dared to doubt it.

Not even you. Until one day these shards bit you – all at once, right into the void you have on your left and below – and suddenly…

you were a dragon.


	2. the Beggar

**Dear Beggar** ,

they love you. Now, at this moment, but they exclude “then”; actually, thinking of it, they suddenly decide that, yeah, you were worthy of their love even “then”.

Tis you, who deeply despised all their feasts, tis you, who cherished only your own life, tis you, who ran away from their Hope – what have you done?

You just turned into a phoenix.

So what? You are a phoenix, big deal. You’re barely bigger than an eagle, you’ll be dying again and again, and your heart – the one Hope had once stolen for his peculiar crafts – your heart is now hidden under the blushing soft feathers, but no one can reach it.

Except for you.

**Dear Beggar** ,

or should I say “Phoenix”? I do not know; I’ll wait till you burn down to ashes or get yourself a fancy sun halo – until then, you’re merely a Beggar.

But you’d disagree, won’t you?

You’ve convinced both them and yourself that everything has changed: “Oh, she wants to come back to our Hope? Well then! He will gladly accept her!”

You smile: “He will”, but there's something more.

Upon meeting him you say, quietly: “You won’t do it again”, and stab his chest with the sharpest shard of your heart, – the one he took care of a long time ago – and stand over him, watching his agony.

Southern wind hugged you from behind, and you reminisced.

Of how weirdly your heart stopped for a moment, empty and dull like it wasn’t even real, when you first saw him. Then – of how it got stolen from your chest and appeared in the Hope’s back pocket. How it brightened with a rough brush of his sandy lips, how it was filled with vivid blood, how it was glued back together and you were promised that it won’t shatter – ever.

Still, you were a Beggar, and no one wanted to doubt it.

Except for you. And one day the void – on your right and above – consumed you; so, you smashed your heart to pieces, you took its shard and suddenly…

you were a phoenix.


End file.
